Tool-carrying slide of high-speed notching machines



Feb. 7, 1939.

H. MU LLER Filed June so, 1957' 2 Sheets Sheet 1 4 M mi/ H. MULLER 2,146,086

TOOL CARRYING SLIDE OF HIGH SPEED NOTCHING MACHINES 6) Filed June 50, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOL- CARRYING SLIDE OF HIGH-SPEED NOTCHING MACHINES Hugo Miiller, Goppingen, Germany, assignor to L. Schuler A. G., Goppingen, Germany Claims. (c1. 164-50) This invention relates to improvements in high speed notching machines of the kind comprising a frame having thereon a slide carrying a notch- I ing tool, said slide being reciprocable vertically by suitable driving means to-cause said tool to penetrate a counter-tool carried by the frame to effect the notching operation.

The known high speed notching machines capable of producing say 600 to 700 eifective punch in strokes per minute have a main drive, clutch, dividing device, brake and clamping device which are so constructed that they can, without any change be used even for higher speeds, say up to 950 efiective punch strokes per minute. On the other hand, the drive and the means for guiding, as Well as the shape of the tool-carrying slide of the known high speed notching machines, are not suitable for an increased speed, as, if the speed of the machine is increased, they are no longer capable of preventing the tool and the tool-carrying slide from assuming a slightly oblique position due to the tool and the slide becoming displaced from the normal position.

This inclining or tilting of the tool and the rubbing or fouling between the tool and the counter tool caused thereby, occur for instance, if the dividing device fails to act properly and the blank is fed forwardly only so far that the tool instead of meeting solid material partly meets the previously notched portion. The material of the workpiece then forces the tool towards the notched portion and causes it to rub against or contact with the counter tool, or may even cause the tool to strike the counter tool and be instantly destroyed. Another cause of the tool bev 3 ing tilted and assuming an oblique position is the wear of the groove of the workpiece or blank which engages a wedge mounted on the centre support. Wearing of the groove causes the workpiece or blank towards the end of its revolution, to be fed by an amount slightly less than the distance between two consecutive notches, the result being the same as that caused by faulty operation of the dividing device, that is, the tool meeting partly solid material and partly a previously notched portion and consequently being forced towards the notched portion. Finally, tilting or inclining of the tool may be caused by the fact that the linkage driving the toolcarrying slide performs, in addition to a rectilineal reciprocating movement, an oscillating movement, 'and'that the slide has only a short guideway, this being the case with most known constructions.

It is the object of the present invention to avoid the drawbacks of the known constructions and provide a tool-carrying slide which will, even at very high speeds, not be displaced from its normal position. One important feature of the invention is the fact that the tool-carrying slide is U-shaped and so arranged relatively to the workpiece that the latter projects partly into the bend, that is the space enclosed by the slide. The tool is clamped to one end of the tool-carrying slide whilst the driving linkage is so constructed that it performs substantially only a reciprocatory movement in the direction of the line of the punching pressure, the point of connection of the linkage with the tool-carrying slide being located in the direction of the punching pressure.

The novel U -shaped form of the tool carrying slide enables the bearings in which the toolcarrying slide is guided, to be placed at a very considerable distance apart so that the toolcarrying slide is guided over a very considerable length, which arrangement in itself prevents the tool from assuming an inclined position. The fact that the driving linkage is connected to the tool-carrying slide at a point lying in the direction of the punching pressure, has the advantage that there will be no bending or turning moment tending to displace the tool from the .direction of the punching pressure. Therefore, if

the slide is made sufiiciently rigid, the tool will strike the blank vertically and any spring due to the action of the punching pressure, will be avoided. The tool will therefore retain during the punching operation and during the subsequent short movement of the tool into the counter tool, the same direction. This holding of the tool in the correct direction increases the life of the tool and it relieves the guides of the slides from undue pressure. As the driving linkage performs, according to the invention, substantially only reciprocatory movements in the direction of the punching pressure, no lateral forces will be transmitted to the slide and consequently the guides of the silde will serve only to hold the slide in the required position and prevent the slide from tilting, and will not be required to take up during the operation of the slide any increased lateral forces which might, in other constructions, occur owing to the action of the driving linkage upon the slide.

Another feature of the invention is the fact that the tool-carrying slide is provided in addition to the main guide with an additional guide directly adjacent to the point at which the tool is clamped to the slide. This arrangement has the advantage that even very slight displacements of the tool from the direction in which the tool works are avoided, and that the tool is only subjected to the notching pressure.

Should the dividing device or the brake fail to operate correctly, the tool will not strike or rub against the counter tool, but will enter the latter without friction. The U-shape of the tool carrying slide and the improved connection of the driving linkage to the tool have a further advantage, namely the reduction of the number of the driven members and consequently also a reduction of the reciprocating total mass. This in turn leads to a reduction of the total play between the driving shaft and the tool and to a very accurate run of the tool-carrying slide and the tool itself.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 being an elevation,

Fig. 2 an end view and Fig. 3 a cross section through the slide.

Various parts of the machine not required for illustrating the invention and the front side of the machine frame have been omitted for claritys sake.

it indicates the rear side of the frame and b is the main shaft mounted in the frame, which is driven by a motor (not shown) by means of disc 0. Upon crank pins 01 of the shaft b are mounted two connecting rods e, the upper ends of which are connected to the tool carrying slide 1. The tool carrying slide is constructed as a rather rigid U-shaped body of double T cross section. The lower limb g of the slide is connected to the connecting rods e, whilst the other limb it carries the notching tool 1' the axis of which passes through the point of connection of the connecting rods 6. The tool 1' co-operates with a counter tool m. The machine frame a is provided with two guide ways it, o in which the slide 1 is guided. In, the immediate vicinity of the tools 2' a further guideway p is provided on the frame a, the slide j engaging said guideway by means of a rod q. The U-shape of the frame and the double T cross section gives the slide a very great resistance moment which avoids spring under the action of the notching pressure. Owing to the fact that the point of connection of the connecting rods e lies in a vertical plane passing through the axis of the tools 1 and m and therefore lying in the direction of the notching pressure, the guides n, o are free from any lateral pressure during the notching operation.

It indicates a support of known kind which carries the usual dividing device, which latter is fed in known manner by means not shown. 1- indicates a blank to be notched which is supported upon the supporting plate s and is carried during rotation of the latter by pins or any other suitable means.

1. In a high-speed notching machine of the kind referred to, the combination of: a frame; a U-shaped tool carrying slide; an upper lateral limb and a lower lateral limb extending over and under the portion of the blank to be notched; guideways carried by said frame for guiding the vertical web of said slide; a notching tool fixed to said upper limb of said slide; and a driving linkage connected to the lower limb of said slide at a point lying in a vertical plane passing through the axis of said notching tool.

2. In a high-speed notching machine of the kind referred to, the combination of a frame; a U-shape-d slide having a vertical rib and horizontal upper and lower limbs; a notching tool carried by said upper limb and means for reciprocating said slide, the point of attachment of said slide driving means being located substantially in a vertical line passing through the axis of the notching tool, said driving means comprising a rotatable crank shaft mounted below said slide and a connecting rod pivoted to said crank shaft and the lower end of said slide.

3. In a high speed notching machine of the kind referred to, the combination of: a frame; a U-shaped tool carrying slide having a vertical web of double T cross section; an' upper lateral limb and a lower lateral limb extending laterally over and under the portion of the blank to be notched; a notching tool carried by said upper limb and a drivinglinkage connected to the lower limb of said slide at a point located in the direction of movement of the notching tool.

4. In a high speed notching machine of the kind referred to, the combination of a frame; a

U-shaped carrying slide; an upper lateral limb and a lower lateral limb extending over,and under the portion of the blank to be notched; guideways carried by said frame for guiding the vertical web of said slide; a notching tool fixed to said upper limb of said slide; a driving linkage connected to the lower limb of said slide at a point located in the direction of movement of the notching tool and an additional guide for said slide located close to said notching tool.

5. In a high speed notching machine of the 

